Clarity
by myloyaltiesliewithHP
Summary: The title makes no sense...I know. Just a story that popped into my mind one fine morning under a hot shower...obviously for Taichihaya fans... Read it, go on.


"Ayase San, are you okay?"

Chihaya looked up from her desk and into the worried face of her new friend. Rin was frowning at her. Around them, students bustled about the college cafeteria, a few boys glancing at the two of them hopefully. After all, the younger sister of a popular model was bound to attract attention. But they refrained from making a move on her thanks to the guy she'd been spotted with many times by now. A good looking guy, no less...and a medical student. So yeah, no competition.

The tired girl pushed her brown strands back and tried to focus on her new friend's pretty face, but found her world spinning. She got up suddenly. "I-I have to go... I'll call u later, Ri-chan."

"Wha-?"

But Chihaya was already out and walking briskly towards her car. The spinning stopped for a while, but she was certain it would return. The sky matched her mood; on the brink of a downpour. The contents of her lunch swirled in her stomach like the clouds above while her lower abdomen showed signs of oncoming cramps...

How she hated her monthly visitor.

Buckling in her seatbelt, she contemplated calling Taichi for a minute. Maybe she shouldn't be driving...he'd probably get mad at her for being so careless...but then again, he might just be busy...today was an important day after all..

Her phone buzzed. A text from just the person she was thinking about lit the screen. It brought a smile to her pale face. And her resolve strengthened.

 **'He's here.'**

She drove slowly and carefully to Taichi's apartment, praying that their eve wouldn't be ruined by this disaster. _I'm fine. Its just the lady time, nothing big._ But lady time seemed to be on another level today. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white against the black material. She felt her head swirl slightly. _Just a bit further...I'm almost there..._ And despite all her hopes and prayers, by the time she rounded the corner to his place, her forehead was drenched in cold sweat and her knees shook. Everything was spinning. Stumbling and trying not to kiss the ground, she wobbled to his door, groped inside her bag and took out the keys she had and entered. Spinning. Everything was spinning. Sounds from inside his room floated into her ear but failed to make sense. She recognised his happy voice, warm, comforting and inviting and she gravitated towards it blindly.

The current queen of Karuta opened the door, and was greeted by the two boys on the ground, but couldn't respond.

Her bag slipped down her shoulder landing somewhere on the floor, her knees gave way and she dropped onto his bed. Bile rose to her throat, burning it. Her eyes stung, stomach churned. The world spun rapidly and she squeezed her eyes shut. The sheets carried a faint trace of his scent and it was only that which kept her anchored to her surroundings.

Concerned murmurs reached her ears, a familiar warm hand pushed her hair back from her sweaty forehead and felt it for a while.

"Is she sick?" Arata's deep voice penetrated her hazy brain and she felt Taichi lift his hand away from her face.

"Not exactly. She's not running a fever.."

She heard the worry in his voice, and also the slight touch of panic in it that showed itself only when it came to her well being. It was something she'd picked up after a long time...the usually ever so calm soon to be doctor was only thrown off when she was in the equation. And even though he did his best to hide it from everyone, it didn't escape her anymore. So she tugged lightly at his sleeve.

Taichi responded immediately. Her eyes were still shut but she felt him lean in. His breath fanned her face lightly and the churning in her stomach lessened. His presence was comforting, his touch soothing. It left her feeling like she could do more, that she was better already.

 _He must be a magician._

She managed to open her eyes. The world continued to spin but his messy hair and amber eyes were, though blurry, the most steadying things she'd ever seen.

"I'm okay..." She mumbled. " Its just a tummy ache."

Realization dawned on his features and he leaned back, looking relieved. His frown gave way to a thoughtful musing. "Aaah... water bag it is then. "And he got up gracefully, giving her hand which he'd held in his at some point, one final squeeze. "I'll be right back."

She watched him walk away. Now that he wasn't as worried, the usual confidence and clear headedness that was a totally Taichi thing seeped back into his demeanour.

Chihaya let out a sigh. As clingy as it sounded, she didn't want him to leave. They hadn't seen each other at all the last two days and it had been absolute _torture._ She didn't expect to be so affected by him after all this time but the things that boy could do to her, without even meaning to, were amazing.

One touch and her knees gave jello a run for its money.

Her eyes flitted over to the other person in the room...she'd almost forgotten he was in there. Things like that tended to happen when she was around Taichi. _Being with that boy must be hazardous to my awareness-skills_.

Arata smiled at her. "Looks like a walk in the park is out of the question."

Chihaya shifted on the bed fixing him, or rather his blurry image, with an apologetic gaze. "Its raining anyway. But I'm so sorry, Arata... I honestly didn't expect this disaster to happen." She half moaned. " B-But its your birthday next week!...and we're definitely making the most of it."

Arata grinned and shook his head."I was only joking, Chihaya. You just focus on getting better soon...or our friend here might pop a blood vessel with all the anxiety." he nodded in Taichi's direction. "We can all go out some other time. Besides, I think you should be worrying about something else right now..."

"Huh?"

"How in the world," Arata grinned," are you going to explain to Taichi that you _drove_ all the way here in this condition?"

He let out a chuckle at her wide eyes. "He's going to go crazy."

"Do me a favour...and don't mention it to him...at all."

Arata pretended to consider it. She noticed as her eyes adjusted, that his hair was slightly longer. But the air around him was the same as before, calm, reserved and confident. Like the air of a king.

" I don't know..." He said, "I'd really like to see a bloodbath..."

"Arata!"

He laughed again, waving her exclamation away. "Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut."

She managed to smile at him gratefully.

"But he's gonna figure it out soon. "

"Ugh... Shut up."

Talking was taking up a huge amount of energy, she realised. Her stomach churned again and she wished Taichi would hurry up and get back in there hot water bag or not ; glancing furtively in the direction her boyfriend had disappeared into.

 _Oh no, not boyfriend. That doesn't even come close to describing what he is..._ Taichi was so much more. If a person could play the role of all the things she'd ever wanted out of life, he was the one. It just took her time to realize it.

Thunder rumbled outside warningly and a flash of lightning illuminated the window. It wasn't pouring yet...but it would be a flood soon enough. Thankfully, Arata lived nearby so he wasn't in much trouble. Her, on the other hand... Well, it wasn't like she would be allowed to go home today anyway. Taichi would strangle her if she even suggested it. Not that she minded...at all. She stared at the ceiling instead, trying to find a spot on it to hold on but it was swaying as much as the rest of the room. It was like Kami sama was using the earth as a spinning top. Impatience gnawed at her insides. Taichi had better get back there if he knew what was good for him...

The person in question walked back in and held up a grey bag for them to see. "I come bearing hot water. This should fix u up...hopefully". He floated over and put it right on top of her aching area while Arata tossed the covers over her. They stood back to admire their handiwork...a warm and tucked in Chihaya. She barely managed to croak her thanks before another bout of nausea caused her to shut her eyes again.

" Just get some sleep." Taichi sighed. " It should wear off in a few hours. If you still feel sick...we could go to the hospital..."

She shook her head with as much urgency as she could muster up. Nope. No hospitals. Absolutely no needles.

"...Or I could just give you something." Taichi said. She could almost hear him rolling his eyes at her reaction.

He sat down on the ground in front of the bed, facing Arata, who sat opposite to them. Chihaya took a peek from behind her lashes and saw the messy mop of brown hair just out of reach. Her hands itched to reach out and knot her fingers through the locks...but she didn't because of their audience. That was something her dear best friend was still uncomfortable about... Arata.

It wasn't like he was still jittery about all the...events...of their high school, or that he was harbouring any sort of dislike or resentment in any way towards their childhood friend. It was just that...around Arata, Taichi became sort of guarded with her. He did his best not to do certain stuff he had no problem doing in the presence of their other friends...like holding her hand or putting his arm around her or playing with her hair...all of which she absolutely loved. It made her feel like she belonged to him...and that feeling left her flying. Especially since their relationship was a slow one and it took a lot of time to break through the walls he'd put up to keep himself from getting hurt. She remembered how long it took to finally convince him that the person her heart did a gymnastics routine for was _him_ and _not_ Arata. And even though they were past all that, times like this left her wondering if he still wasn't confident enough in her feelings.

There were those infuriating moments when he was so close, and yet so far away. There was always that one single wall that prevented him from completely giving himself to her. One barrier that kept them from being whole.

This made her mad because Kami sama knew she was undoubtedly in love with him...in all the sense of the L-word.

The intensity and depth of her feelings sometimes left her at the doorstep of crazyland. And the fact that he didn't know how deep the roots of her emotions ran left her feeling frustrated. But that only ignited the special Chihaya spark and she was only even more determined to make him open up to her, erase that final wall and show him just how much in love she was.

Taichi whipped around suddenly. "Hold on a second," his voice had a tinge of suspicion and anger in it and she gulped. "how did you get here Chihaya?"

She winced internally,"Er..by Car..."

"Uh huh..Who was driving?"

Seeing an opening, she clutched at it in a millisecond. " Rin dropped me."

She opened her eyes to a more steady room and saw that he'd narrowed his own orbs at her. "If I find your car in the drive way, I swear lady, you're in BIG trouble."

Arata, who had been laughing silently in the background, now doubled over.

"I-I didn't! Rin came over to drop me and then she...left."

"How?"

"K-Kazuto came to pick her up!"

Taichi made a move to grab his phone."If you're lying, you can say goodbye to your Snowmaru card collection."

She opened her mouth and then closed it again, flushing slightly as Arata's laugh grew louder. Taichi flipped his phone open and scrolled through his contact list. Finding the one he was looking for, he made to press the little green call button but—

"Fine! I drove here alright?! But I was really careful! I couldn't have gone any slower!"

She gazed at his face imploringly as he glared at her. She was in for it now.

"That was very irresponsible."

"I know—"

"And Careless."

"Taichi—"

"You forgot Stupid.." Arata quipped from behind and she saw Taichi's lips twitch upwards. "Of course. And incredibly Stupid."

Tossing Arata a glare, she pouted slightly at Taichi, hoping to dilute the whole thing...this trick usually worked quite well...

But his glare didn't lessen. That made her heart beat faster in slight fear. Maybe he was really REALLY mad at her.

"Let it go, Taichi." Arata said calmly, now over his laughing fit. " She got back okay right? And I don't think she's gonna dare to pull somethin' like this again anytime soon."

Taichi hesitated...and then retreated, shaking his head," She better not. You have a point though." He narrowed his eyes at Chihaya again. "I'm gonna let it slide for now...you need to sleep. But don't think you've heard the last of this, Chihaya. Just wait till you get better."

She groaned lightly into her pillow. She should've just called him then. Would've saved a whole lot of trouble.

Their evening was not going according to plan and it was her fault. Today was one of those rare days the three of them got together to just hang out. Arata and Taichi saw each other at campus yes, but she often had a little trouble spending time with them at college since she was in a whole different building, albeit a near one. Besides, with work piling upon them and Taichi's postings getting in the way, she was starting to lose the time she spent with him.

Slowly but surely, sleep invaded her mind and she began to drift off...but before she fell completely asleep, she managed to call out to the boys...

"I'm really sorry about today guys... this is my fault..." her sleepy mumble wasn't really making much sense but they got the gist and exchanged a glance with each other.

"...I'll make it up to u somehow... Promise..."

Arata started to say something, probably just words of comfort but she was already in the land of dreams by then.

Taichi sighed. It was true that they had quite a few plans that evening but it was nothing to get so worked up about. Now she'd be feeling guilty for no reason at all until the next time they all got together. He almost, _almost_ reached out and pushed away the strands of hair on her face and ran the tips of his fingers along her cheek like he used to, but he caught himself at the last moment. There was no way he'd do something like that with Arata around. No way. Not even if it killed him.

 _Well, its killing me anyway._ The whole not-seeing-her-for-two-days thing was putting him on edge. It was very very VERY hard not to just kiss the lights out of her, the deprivation he faced in the last few days left him on the verge of losing self control. But with Arata in front of him? All the lapse in will power was restored and replaced by something else.

Guilt.

He felt like he'd done something absolutely terrible to his friend. Taichi was an expert on knowing how it feels to have Chihaya taken away from him...Arata had seemingly done it many times in the past without even being present with them. Even though he still loved the girl, he had come to terms with the fact that some things were just...unattainable. He knew how much it hurt, how much it killed you from the inside and he'd wished many times that no one be subjected to that sort of heartache, ever.

That was why he had pushed her away at first. That was why he left her with Arata for a few months while he went to London for that pre med course. He needed to be sure...because if he was hurt like that again, he might as well just start thinking about paying Tony Stark a visit...an arc reactor would be a lot safer than his battered heart.

So when she still turned to him even after spending all that time with Arata, he felt incredibly guilty. If Arata felt for her as much as he did, then he knew exactly how the blue eyed boy must have felt.

But Arata never expressed anything.

Whether that boy was hurting or not, he just couldn't tell. That ever stoic face of his never gave anything away, so Taichi resorted to keeping his hands off, not rub it in Arata's face in any way, accidental or not.

That one thing kept him from a complete relationship. But that wasn't something he resented. All this _drama_ is what made him who is today. And somehow he suspected that no matter what stage of his life it was, Arata would always be a part of it.

It was like the three of them were tied together by fate.

Taichi mentally gave himself a good kick. _Fate? Oh, be practical, Mashima._ He fixed his gaze on Arata and they both smiled wearily at the same time as Chihaya mumbled something in her sleep.

"What are we supposed to do now?"

" Honestly, I have no idea. Uh... Chess?"

Arata grinned. "I'd probably lose but okay."

Taichi scrambled up to get the set, stumbling a little on the rug. He spared the sleeping figure on his bed a glance. She'd slept on it many times before but not once was she sick. He hoped it wouldn't be a regular occurrence or anything. And the whole car scenario still managed to make him mad.

 _Maybe I do worry too much._

No, the car thing was just plain stupid. He had every right to be angry.

...

Chihaya woke up to the sound of soft murmuring. She was horribly disoriented and it took her a while to gather her bearings. Eyes remaining shut, she listened to the sounds around her and recognised one of them immediately.

"I know we haven't really talked about it...but maybe we should? I can sense it when something's up, Taichi."

Everything came back to her in a flood. Her tummy ache had lessened and her head wasn't spinning anymore but she didn't open her eyes. Intuition told her this was a serious conversation because Taichi was being uncharacteristically quiet. Eavesdropping wasn't her thing, but his silence chilled her blood and she couldn't open her eyes. Or move.

Hundreds of possibilities ran through her mind. Each one worse than the last. The boys were talking about _their_ story. She was sure of it.

"Taichi."

She heard him sigh heavily. " Everything's...fine, Arata."

"I just told you I can tell when you're lying. Both of you are terrible liars."

"Hey, I'm an excellent liar! Just ask my mom."

"Not to me. I've known you for too long. But don't change the subject, Taichi. We can discuss your lying abilities some other time. What's going on? Why are you so tense around her now?"

 _That's what I'd like to know._

"I'm _not_. She's sick right? So I was just being...careful."

"Are you kidding me?" she could imagine Arata raising an eyebrow at his friend. "You guys are just...skirting around each other like...like..wait. Are you afraid of PDA? Is that it?"

She stifled a giggle.

Taichi drew in an incredulous breath "What!? What does that have to do with anything?!" and then, remembering she was sleeping, he lowered his voice. Her excellent hearing came in handy then. "I'm not that into it, yeah, but that's not..."another sigh," I don't even know what to tell you."

Arata contemplated it for a moment. Chihaya realized she had been holding her breath and hastily started to take in air, keeping a steady rhythm. But they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice.

"Something," Arata started again," is keeping you from her. Your friend, Oe-san thinks so too."

Chihaya froze again. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Would she finally be able to find out what the heck it was that was wrong with them?

Taichi stuttered something and then fell silent. Chihaya strained her ears.

"Have you... I dunno...fallen out of love with her or something?" Arata suggested.

The Meijin and Queen were greeted by silence.

Her entire body went frigid cold.

But then Taichi burst into laughter. He went on for quite a few seconds and she heard Arata mutter,"Thank god."

Oh yes, Thank God indeed, she thought breathing in again. Stupid Arata and his stupid question. She had complete faith in her best friend. But like every other female, insecurities were a part of her.

Taichi managed to catch his breath. " That was the stupidest question _ever_." he chuckled, "Believe me, I've tried long and hard to make it go away. But she's it for me."

 _Fight fight fight._ She told her cheeks. _Fight the blush or you'll get caught._ Although, they could probably hear her heart dancing happily. Honestly, with the moves it was pulling, MJ would be jealous.

"So what the hell is your problem? Is it her? Are you not confident enough in her feelings, is that it?"

Her heart stopped in mid spin and sank like a leaden ball. There was that question again, the one she'd always wanted answered. Was it really _that_ which was keeping him from her? Really? Anxiety gnawed at her and she realised she was biting her lip.

Taichi was silent again...was he thinking or did his silence mean an affirmative to the question or...or.. _Argh! I'll go crazy! Just say something already, Taichi, please._

"You know, up until two years ago, I would've answered yes to your question. But its...not that... I mean I trust her now, I wouldn't be with her otherwise..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Heart soaring again, Chihaya internally sighed in relief. That boy probably had no idea how happy it made her to hear that. She was so glad he finally got it. But the question still remained. If he had no doubts about her feelings then why was he so alert around Arata?

"Its me isn't it?"

She peeked at them just in time to see Taichi's head snap up at Aratas enquiry.

The young man ran a hand through his midnight black hair and sighed. "Well, I should've known."

" But I didn't say anything yet."

"You don't have to, Taichi" he chucked," I know how that complicated mind of yours works."

Chihaya still didn't completely get it.

" You wanna explain now?"

Suspense hung in the air, thick and sultry. It was suffocating her. She couldn't see his expression and so she couldn't figure out what he was thinking...

Then came a defeated sigh and a much awaited murmur from the mouth of the one she'd given her heart to.

"I feel guilty."

 _Oh._

His mumble was almost inaudible but both she and Arata understood perfectly and the Meijin voiced her question as his own. "Why?"

"I guess its because...well," he took a deep breath and continued," because I know what it's like...you know, to find out that she's in love with someone else. I know how horrible it can be..."

Chihaya felt her eyes sting. She hated thinking about that time. She never actually meant to hurt him, or Arata, she realized. A sick feeling occupied her stomach. Oh god, Taichi's right. She must've hurt Arata too in some way...

Then her sister's words came back to her,' _ **...Falling in love is never easy, lil sis. It hurts like a bitch. And you end up hurting people. But all that matters is you don't hurt the right person. As long as you two are okay, everything else will fall into place.**_ '

" ...And I didn't want you to go through the crap I did." He continued to murmur, "I'd come to terms with it by then, that I couldn't have her...but when everything turned upside down...I just can't help but wish you wouldn't have to feel the same things I did— _what is with that smile?!_ "

Chihaya nearly snapped her open eyes to see Arata's face but held herself back in time. The boy laughed lightly.

"I was just thinking, you're a great friend Mashima. " she could feel Arata's grin in his voice." But you're also being very stupid."

"Thanks." Taichi grumbled. "Wanna elaborate on that?"

"Sure." She peeked again and saw Arata sit forward but there was a seriousness in his posture and tone." I get what you mean, Taichi. I do. But your assumptions that my feelings for Chihaya were as strong as yours...that's where you went wrong."

And that was all she needed to hear. A huge weight lifted off of her shoulders.

Arata sighed and leaned back. "I thought she was it for me too. But unlike you, I always did have a sort of...confidence that she might just be a little more inclined towards me. And even when I found out I was wrong, it didn't hurt as much as I expected it to. The first few weeks stung, but I was surprised on how quickly I recovered after that."

"You may not know this...but that time I spent with her when you went off to London...that was when I realized I'd been misreading the signals. We had both been. I was always just a far away beacon of light, a goal. Something exciting and awe inspiring to her Karuta infested mind. But after your little trick, the confession, the whole time when you avoided her and everything—"

"I didn't do that _on purpose."_

"Maybe not, but that finally broke her out of her only-Karuta stupor and she began to open her eyes and see, listen and _understand._ "

Chihaya was shocked, to say the least. That was a very accurate description of her life.

"And so," Arata continued, "when she started to focus on other things, she naturally started to actually _feel_ what she had for you. I suppose your departure was like a stimulus. It activated her sleeping feelings and now that they're awake, well... " he finished with another grin.

Taichi was silent for a long minute and she found the silence deafening. Another rumble of thunder nearly had her jumping out of her skin. Then he said quietly, " You... should really become a psychologist or something... But that's not what I want to know..."

"I know what you want to know." Arata said getting up as if to leave," and like I already said, I'm perfectly fine. She's more like a childhood friend than a love interest, Taichi. So relax, will you? I'm fine. In fact...I uh..."

Taichi had followed Arata's movement with his eyes and seemed to be shaking off a dazed feeling. Then he got up too, a suspicious tone lacing his voice," You 'uh' what?"

"I.. Um...think I might just have a teeny tiny crush..."

Chihaya didn't know what to do. Never in her life had she felt so relieved. A squeal was building up in her throat but her boyfriend beat her to it.

"What?!" he yelped, " What in the world are you talking about?!"

Arata sighed wearily." I mean, I like someone, okay? And you know that person..."

She saw Taichi sift his weight to the other leg, a sign of impatience." Its a girl right?"

A faint blush dotted Arata's cheeks," Of course its a girl, you idiot! I'm not gay!"

"Right." Taichi stifled a laugh. The sound brought a smile to her face. "Just checking. Er...so who is it? And _why_ are we standing?"

" _I'm_ standing because I'm leaving before it pours. I don't know about you...why _are_ you standing?"

"I guess I'm seeing you to the door then."

"Okay." Arata spun around, hoping to escape but then froze as Taichi spoke again over the angry thunder outside, his voice sounding just as annoyed at the other boy's pathetic attempt to flee.

"Woah. Were do you think you're going? You're not taking another step until you tell me who the mystery girl is...assuming it _is_ a girl."

"For the last time, Mashima, I am not GAY!"

"Hey, you're the one who told me you thought David Beckham was—"

"Stop _right_ there!" Arata exclaimed, face flushed about then," Don't go around saying all that in the open!"

"Will you just tell me who your new lady friend is? I'm running out of patience."

He saw Arata swallow nervously, his companion was sweating, he realized. The sight brought a wicked smile to his face but he hid it well. Whoever this person was, she must be important.

"Shinnnbuucha"

Arata's incoherent mumbling left Taichi very confused but Chihaya clenched her fist in excitement. She understood!She knew who it was!

"I'm sorry, what?"

Arata let out a breath as Taichi's face sported a confused frown. He knew his friend would never let him live this down...but he felt like he owed it to the gonna-be doc. It would put that boy's mind at rest.

And that was how Wataya Arata finally admitted his crush on Wakamiya Shinobu to his best friend...and the girl pretending to be sleeping on the bed.

True to his instinct, Taichi never let him live that one down.

Chihaya lay on the bed, no longer pretending to be asleep as the boys moved out of the room, continuing their David Beckham+Shinobu-chan discussion. She stared again at the ceiling, letting the information from the conversation sink into her. It was great, excellent, that Arata was way over her and onto someone else. She was even more glad it was Shinobu chan...hopefully, the former queen returned his feelings and they'd both no longer be alone...

But _her_ love life was a completely different matter. Would things be better now? Or would it change for the worse? She had absolutely no idea Taichi had felt that way; realized she didn't know him at all like he knew her. That singular fact made her frustrated and sad. It wasn't supposed to be like that...she should be able to read him like a book. Within these post high school 3.5 years, she'd learned that Mashima Taichi was a many layered, complicated human being... But there was nothing about him that she'd change.

She wouldn't exchange him for all the Daddy bears in the world, and that's saying something.

He walked back into the room, shutting the door behind him and leaned against it, lost in thought. She could tell because he was chewing his lip and staring at something only he could see. Despite the fact that his hair was dishevelled, or that he was still clad in his comfortable home clothes, her heart suddenly skipped a beat at the sight and she suppressed a groan at the reaction. He didn't even notice the fact that she was awake.

"Taichi?"

His head snapped towards her and his eyes cleared, locking with hers. A warm smile spread over his face and she found her own lips curving in reply.

"How do you feel?" he came closer and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Much better. Is it raining?"

"Yup. Its really heavy. I've already called you mom and told her you won't be going back to your place today."

She smiled some more, rolling her eyes and patted the space next to her. It was getting cold and she'd be damned if she wasted anymore time. If he didn't hold her close in 5 seconds, she'd go nuts.

He obliged soon enough, pausing only to switch off the lights and pull down the curtains so the storm stayed outside. Lifting the covers, he slipped under them and wrapped his arms around her frame immediately. She wasted no time and slid closer, as close as possible. Their legs tangled underneath the sheets. He pressed his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes like he'd done so many times before. "You were awake, weren't you? Heard everything?"

Not bothering to lie, she smiled a little at how well he'd had her figured out.

"I heard _everything_. And you're the biggest idiot in the world."

His smile widened." I _was._ Past tense, Chihaya."

...And like very other time, a soft blush rose to her face as he ran his knuckles along her cheeks. His eyes sparkled in the dark, almost illuminated, the lightning outside enhancing the orbs...she nearly swooned as his scent took hold of her senses. A slight tilt of her head, and their noses touched ever so lightly, it was almost perfect.

Almost.

He cradled her head in his hands, holding it with a sort of reverent tenderness, and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

 _Now_ everything was perfect.

Her hands knotted in his hair like they'd been dying to do all evening and he pulled her flush against him in a wild surge of passion. His mouth was soft but urgent and yet tender against hers and the intensity lit a fire in the pit of her stomach. A soft sigh escaped her lips as the tips of their tongues touched, a sound of contentment.

But then he ended the moment with one soft last touch, and broke the kiss.

She realized she was breathless. And flushed. And still yearning for more. But she knew why he'd pulled away. Things shouldn't get out of hand, right? He never ever let them go any further, and she was glad one of them was sensible.

Honestly, Chihaya had no control. After all these years of being suppressed, her hormones were attacking with a vengeance...that's what he said anyway.

Taichi rested his forehead against hers once again, holding her eyes once more. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair, she was still pulled as close to him as it was humanely possible. But it still wasn't enough.

His heart was beating terribly fast, a lot like hers...that and his dazed, clouded eyes made her feel very lightheaded...

"We should stop." He murmured, brushing a thumb along her soft cheek eliciting a beautiful blush in response. It almost caused him to lose control again but he managed to satisfy himself with a kiss to her forehead.

She swallowed thickly and murmured her half hearted assent, still unable to push away the lingering feel of his touch, the flames in her stomach. He absently ran his fingers up along her arm and it only stoked the fire in her abdomen, her skin deliciously alert at his touch.

He really had no idea how much he affected her. None at all.

They just lay there together, enjoying the peace despite the storm outside, imbibing the relief and joy that came from finally spending some time together after a long gap. And the new clarity in their relationship, brought about by their megane sporting old friend...it was like a breath of fresh air. She revelled in it.

"You know," she began to say, voice a little muffled against his shirt because he'd tucked her under his chin," I'm really happy for Shinobu chan."

"Hmm..."

"And for Arata! He deserves it. Oh I do hope everything goes okay! I should've wished him luck."

Taichi sighed into her hair, "He's going to be fine on his own alright? Don't go about playing matchmaker."

"But-But she has to—"

"Nope." He pulled back and gave her a stern gaze. " Stay out of it. Not one word to that poor girl, you hear?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why'd you just call her 'poor girl' Taichi?"

He winced at her accusatory tone. "She's going to be in for a shock, Chihaya. You should know. How do airheads usually feel when someone unexpectedly comes up and goes, 'Hey! I like you!' ?"

"Who are you calling airhead?! Shinobu chan was the youngest Queen in history!"

Taichi smirked," Anybody who's crazy about that silly snowman thingie is an airhead. Its a _fact._ "

With surprising strength, Chihaya pushed him from the bed and he landed on the ground, stomach first. She crawled to the edge of the bed and saw him roll over, groaning. He was only trying to rile her up, she knew... _And you succeeded. Congratulations._

"Great, isn't it?" she chirped," Now we're both in pain."

"Just wonderful" he murmured.

But the half smile playing on his lips told her he was, in fact, just wonderful. His eyes turned to hers and she saw in them a sort of clarity, the real Taichi, without the walls or the guilt. She read from those amber pools of expression, a surrender, a received touch of liberation. A readiness to finally, _finally_ let her in.

And he was perfect.

She reached for his hand and he obliged, brushing a thumb over her knuckles.

The storm raged on outside but the two young adults remained in their weird positions, one on the ground, one up; marvelling at the turn the day had taken. Maybe her stomach _was_ paining. And maybe she did have two essays to turn in in two days. And maybe she'd have to go two _more_ days without seeing him. But it was okay. Because in the end, all that mattered was that they were finally on the way of becoming two parts of the same whole. Maybe it would take years, but at least now she was sure it was going to be him.

"Taichi,"

"Hmm?" his eyes were trained on the flashes outside illuminating the curtains.

" I love you."

His lips curved upwards involuntarily, the expression mirrored in his eyes.

"I know."

She grinned. Yup, things were going to be just fine.

 **...**

 **Okay. So, my other story is on hold due to certain personal reasons. And I realized drabbles are more my thing...hopefully.**

 **I know it might seem like a little out of character but hey, they're all grown up now.**

 **You know, I just listened to 1D's More than this (I'm late , I know)...and doesn't it kinda sorta fit Taichi's situation? Maybe? Meh. His face was the first thing that popped into my mind as I heard the lyrics. That's all.**

 **With the latest update of the manga, my will to continue with the other story has crumbled... I'm sorry to all those who were looking forward to it...but it was a crappy work anyway.**

 **Well, until next time.**

 **Cheerio.**


End file.
